Conditions & Treatments

Ankle Replacement - Post-surgery care

Avoid strenuous movements such as twisting; and high impact activities such as jumping and running, as they may damage your prosthesis.
Before any dental work or invasive medical procedures, inform your dentist or doctor that you have prosthesis and that you need antibiotics to prevent infection. An implant card will be given to you upon discharge.
Avoid direct ice and/or cold packs application. Always wrap ice and/or cold pack with a thin towel before applying to your operated ankle. You are encouraged to apply at least three times per day to reduce swelling and pain.
Elevate your leg with pillow to reduce swelling.

Rest your foot on at least 2 pillows
Keep your foot elevated most of the time (At Least 22 hours out of 24 Hours) for the first few days after surgery.
After the first few days you can start putting your foot down starting with 1-2 minutes at a time and slowly increase the amount of time.
It might be 2 weeks or more before you can leave your foot down for more than 5 to 10 minutes a time as you just had a major foot and ankle surgery.